Traditionally, an Ophthalmic Device, such as a contact lens, an intraocular lens, or a punctal plug, included a biocompatible device with a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic quality. A contact lens, for example, may provide one or more of vision correcting functionality, cosmetic enhancement, and therapeutic effects. Each function is provided by a physical characteristic of the lens. A design incorporating a refractive quality into a lens may provide a vision corrective function. A pigment incorporated into the lens may provide a cosmetic enhancement. An active agent incorporated into a lens may provide a therapeutic functionality. Such physical characteristics are accomplished without the lens entering into an energized state. A punctal plug has traditionally been a passive device.
More recently, active components have been incorporated into a contact lens. Some components may include semiconductor devices. Some examples have shown semiconductor devices incorporated in a contact lens placed upon animal eyes. It has also been described how the active components may be energized and activated in numerous manners within the lens structure itself. The topology and size of the space defined by the lens structure creates a novel and challenging environment for the definition of various functionalities. It is important to provide reliable, compact, and cost effective means to interconnect and attach the components upon form factors consistent with the ophthalmic environment.
Including energization elements in an Ophthalmic Device adds the issue of loss of energization between the manufacturing date and the date of actual use of the device. One of the more significant causes of loss of energization may be the leakage of electrical current through devices and structures that connect physically and electrically with the energization elements. Many Ophthalmic Devices, such as disposable contact lenses, have typical shelf lives of six years; hence, there is a need to minimize energization losses by ensuring extremely low leakage current. Therefore, it may be important to ensure that included energization elements and the electrical components they connect to have very low leakages and designed modes of operation that minimize the loss of energization during storage periods. Incorporating the energization elements into the Ophthalmic Device presents the additional issue to current leakage because the solutions to the leakage cannot depend on direct electrical contact.
Technological embodiments that address such an ophthalmological background need may generate solutions that not only address ophthalmic requirements but also encompass novel embodiments for the more general technology space defining energy conservation for encapsulated energized elements.